Just then, Qiu Li's clear voice broke the awkward atmosphere. The little girl was still naive and completely unaware of the oppressive feeling in the air.
Lu Yanting snapped out of his daze upon hearing the sound, his surprise vanishing instantly, replaced by a gentle smile.
He walked to the bedside, gently touched the top of the child's head, and asked softly, "How is the recovery? Does the wound still hurt?" His tone was so gentle it seemed to melt hearts.
Xu Jingyan stood aside, stunned by Lu Yanting's appearance.
In her memory, Lu Yanting had always been aloof and distant, exuding a sense of detachment towards everyone. She had never seen Lu Yanting be so gentle with anyone before.
Wait a minute! Lu Yanting showed no surprise at seeing the little girl. Could it be that he already knew about her existence?
"Big brother, I'm not in pain. The doctor said I'm recovering very well and I'll be discharged soon!" The little girl looked up with a bright smile, her face full of innocence.
Just then, Lu Yanting's phone rang. He leaned down slightly, patted Qiu Li's head, and said gently, "I'll go answer this call first, and I'll come see you in a little while!"
Qiu Li nodded obediently, her eyes still sparkling.
Lu Yanting turned around and quickly walked out of the ward, his figure disappearing outside the door in no time.
The ward fell silent, leaving only Xu Jingyan standing to one side. The two didn't interact much to begin with, and now the air seemed to freeze, making the atmosphere even more awkward and oppressive.
Xu Jingyan broke the ice first. She looked at Qiu Mang beside her, her gaze shifting back and forth between Qiu Mang and Qiu Li. A smile appeared on her lips as she asked softly, "Qiu Mang, this child looks a lot like you. Who is she to you?"
Qiu Mang smiled wryly, "She's my sister. She's usually quite mischievous."
"They really do look alike. If you didn't tell me, I would have thought they were your daughter!" A sarcastic, sharp voice suddenly came from behind.
Qiu Mang turned around quickly upon hearing the sound and saw Fang Weiwei standing there with her arms crossed, looking arrogant and leaning against the door, her eyes revealing a strange provocation.
Qiu Mang suddenly felt a strong, pungent smell of gunpowder hitting her face. She frowned slightly and her tone turned cold: "Dr. Fang, my sister's attending physician is not you. I wonder what brings you here?"
Fang Weiwei smiled mockingly and strode over, her high heels clicking on the ground.
She stopped in front of Qiu Mang, her chin slightly raised, and said condescendingly, "I wonder who begged me to treat this child back then. What, now that Director Guan has performed the surgery for you, you've forgotten how you begged them?"
Qiu Mang looked at her helplessly, "Dr. Fang, I don't know why you always seem to hate me like this every time you appear. To be honest, I really can't remember where I offended you."
Fang Weiwei ignored Qiu Mang, instead forcing a seemingly gentle smile, and turned to look at Qiu Li, saying softly, "Little girl, be good, tell your sister where your mother is, okay?"
Looking at the serious-looking, aggressive woman in front of her, Qiu Li instinctively shrank back, saying with a hint of fear, "I'm not telling you! You're so fierce, you must be a bad person!"
Fang Weiwei chuckled softly, trying to coax, "Baby, if you tell your sister where your mom is, I'll buy you lots and lots of delicious candy, okay?" As she spoke, she reached out to touch Xiao Qiuli's face.
Qiu Li nimbly dodged to the side, her eyes full of wariness. "My sister said we shouldn't eat food from strangers! I don't want your candy! Besides, you're a bad person, so I definitely can't eat your food!"
These last words instantly ignited Fang Weiwei's anger. She couldn't force a fake smile. She was about to reach out and grab the little girl's collar when Xu Jingyan suddenly stopped her.
"Weiwei, don't be impulsive!" Xu Jingyan urged anxiously.
"Weiwei, Qiu Mang is my friend. Please give me some face and don't make things difficult for her anymore, okay?" Xu Jingyan winked at Fang Weiwei.
Fang Weiwei gritted her teeth and reluctantly withdrew her hand.
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted from the other end of the corridor.
"Oh no! An old man is about to jump off a building with his grandson in his arms!" A chubby nurse rushed in, panting.
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Weiwei's expression changed drastically. She grabbed the nurse's arm with such force that the nurse almost stumbled.
"Dr. Fang, please go and see! The old man heard what you said earlier, and his faith collapsed. He broke down completely and ran to the rooftop with the child in his arms!" The nurse's eyes were red with anxiety.
"Go to the rooftop? What were the people at the hospital doing? Why didn't anyone stop them?" Fang Weiwei frowned.
"Everyone was busy and didn't notice for a moment..." the nurse mumbled, her voice growing softer and softer.
"What are you all standing there for? It's already this late, why aren't you rushing to save them! Do you want the hospital to make headlines and cause such a huge uproar?" Fang Weiwei yelled, then dashed out.
Seeing this, Qiu Mang quickly asked the caregiver to help take care of Qiu Li, and then followed closely behind, running towards the rooftop.
On the rooftop, the biting wind cut through the old man's body like ice blades, seeping into his wide, slightly empty trousers.
An elderly man stood precariously on the edge of the rooftop, his arms tightly wrapped around a one-year-old child, as if he might be swept away by the raging wind at any moment.
"Grandpa, please don't be impulsive! Look, everyone is working hard for Little Potato's sake. The money will be raised soon. Please stay calm!" Dr. Zhao said anxiously, standing in the center of the rooftop, his voice trembling slightly with tension.
The old man looked at Dr. Zhao, his thin, wrinkled hands trembling incessantly, like withered leaves swaying in the autumn wind, his eyes filled with endless sorrow and helplessness.
"Dr. Zhao, thank you so much! In this big city hospital, to meet such a kind and compassionate doctor like you is a blessing that my grandson and I have accumulated over several lifetimes."
But the medical expenses... are outrageously high! We came all the way from the countryside, we know nothing about medicine, we don't have medical insurance, and even if we sell everything we own, we still can't raise enough. This burden is really going to crush my old bones.
At this moment, Fang Weiwei anxiously squeezed through the crowd of onlookers, rushed to the front, her hair disheveled by the wind, and shouted loudly to the old man, "Grandpa, please listen to me first. Everything can be discussed. Please take the child down first, okay? Don't stand in this dangerous place. Let's talk things out slowly."
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